


Love Is Beginning

by Brekkerenthusiast (DauntlessDreamer)



Series: I'm Yours [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hades is a Good Parent, M/M, Pre-The Trials of Apollo, Will is a Mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28856439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DauntlessDreamer/pseuds/Brekkerenthusiast
Summary: This thing with Will is so different from everything else Nico’s ever experienced. In the addled haze of his hero worship Nico often found himself staring at Percy’s arms with a strange desire. When he’s with Will though he attempts to crack the most  perfect joke just to hear Will’s laugh and have his enticing blue eyes scrunch up in the corners. Nico’s not terribly social, but he finds himself searching for words in an effort to draw the conversation on longer.*Nico is slowly getting the hang of existing minus the constant state of distress. He's catching up on school, making friends, and leaving old habits behind. What he didn't count on is catching feelings for someone who actively makes nerdy star wars references. Gods help him.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Nico di Angelo, Nico di Angelo & Hades, Nico di Angelo & Jason Grace, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: I'm Yours [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116068
Comments: 13
Kudos: 86





	Love Is Beginning

Nico’s eyes follow the pendulum of the small, burgundy, grandfather clock balanced on top of one of the multiple filing cabinets in the infirmary. Leave it to Cabin seven to by-pass a simple kitchen clock or a basic analog in favour of a pretentious grandfather clock. Austin claims it’s art, but Nico calls it ridiculous. 

To the right of the cabinet Will stands and balances a stack of folders on his jean clad knee. He’s got a pink highlighter in between his teeth and seems to be searching for a specific page, judging by the speed at which he scans the texts. From time to time he takes the highlighter and draws over a section of the page before continuing. 

Nico normally finds people who lick their fingers before turning the page annoying, but with Will’s pretty cupid bow lips, he finds it endearing.

Nico stares down at his own black converse - standard camp apparel - and feels himself blush. 

Will’s been at this for over twenty minutes, absentmindedly mumbling foreign words and phrases under his break: hypertension, anaphylaxis, no that won’t work. Nico stopped pretending he was listening a long time ago and instead lets himself watch the adorable scrunch of Will’s eyebrows as he concentrates. He’s wearing a shirt that’s the same shade as the highlighter between his lips, along with a pair of dark washed jeans and converse not unlike Nico’s own - breathtaking. 

The shame he used to feel when he stared at Percy or any of the other boys his age at Westover Hall has been slowly receding. After all, it’s not like camp is a particularly conservative place - hell, Mitchell from Cabin ten regularly wears a t-shirt with the words be gay, or go away across the front, and Butch comes to their sparring matches with his nails painted a vibrant fuscha. 

But, he feels embarrassed nonetheless. This thing with Will is so different from everything else Nico’s ever experienced. In the addled haze of his hero worship Nico often found himself staring at Percy’s arms with a strange desire. When he’s with Will though he attempts to crack the most perfect joke just to hear Will’s laugh and have his entancing blue eyes scrunch up in the corners. Nico’s not terribly social, but he finds himself searching for words in an effort to draw the conversation on longer. 

And it’s not even like he has no chance either. It’s common knowledge around camp that Will isn’t exactly straight, (Nico learned that helpful information in his first week back at camp when someone did a particularly abysmal parking job and Will remarked that it was ‘as straight as he is’). It could also be the fact that when all the campers gather for movie night on Fridays will isn’t shy about his love for Zac Efron.

This thing as he has decided to call it, might even indicate that Will is slightly interested in Nico too. 3 months ago when Nico had attempted to shadow travel out of his mandatory sentence in the infirmary (for the second time in a row), Will had shouted godsdammit Nico would you just let someone help you for once!. 

After staying the three days, plus an additional two Nico had realized that Will might be the easiest person to make friends with in this camp 1) because he wasn’t afraid of Nico 2) because he exuded kindness (he smiled at babies in the checkout line) and 3) he might be the only person in this place who is stubborn enough to deal with Nico.

With no cabinmates and therefore no defined schedule, Nico has resorted to spending time with Percy and Jason during class hours, and with Will after lessons. The son of Apollo has slowly grown on Nico, a friendship born after lending his Nintendo DS (they still make these!?) and sharing his peanut butter crackers in counsellor meetings. 

It was different than a friendship though, this thing bordering on what Nico’s mother would call courting. Nico certainly doesn’t get butterflies swarming in his stomach when Jason hugs him goodbye, or when Percy rolls his eyes and mouths jokes at him during campfire. But, when Will puts his hand over Nico’s own and shows the exact amount of pressure to apply when wrapping an ace bandage, he feels like he might vomit (in a new, good, jittery, lovesick kind of way).

Let’s not forget the time the Stolls snuck moonshine into camp after lights out a month after the final battle. All the head counsellors got drunk (even Nico, who enjoys a good wine cooler). Thank the gods above that he wasn’t drunk enough to forget the sloppy kiss Will had pressed to his cheek when they all snuck back to their cabins that night, along with a careful goodnight Neeks whispered in the darkness.

That moment is a constant source of daydreaming for Nico. So, he calms the butterflies, and bees, and dragonflies swarming in his stomach with the knowledge that he might just have a chance. 

The resident ghost king swings his legs dangling from the edge of a spare gurney and raises his head, “how much longer is this gonna take Solace, I thought you wanted to visit the Stolls about securing a pack of cherry coke for your ride home?”

Will focuses wide eyes on Nico, “Jesus what time is it?” He looks up at the time and begins shoving files back into the cabinet, not before ensuring their alphabetical order.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner? My mom will be her in half an hour.” Will lectures.

He continues rushing around and straightening papers while Nico just stands watching the familiar madness unfold because he knows Will is on the edge of a rant. “I had no idea there was so much information that Kayla isn’t familiar with, I’ve been trying to highlight each camper's different allergies so she doesn’t mess anything up while I’m gone.”

Ever the health nerd, Will grabs some hand sanitizer before turning to Nico. He stands in front of him, a few inches taller, and readjusts the green backpack over his shoulder, “I mean I love my sister but you know how absent minded she can be.”

As Will grabs Nico’s hand (and kick starts his heart rate) he remembers the time the two of them watched from the lava wall as Kayla misfired an arrow into Chrion’s tail while distractedly flirting with Cecil. For a champion archer, she could be a bit scatterbrained. Kayla had eventually realized and turned bright red as she tried to apologize to Chiron, Will had laughed into Nico’s shoulder and prayed that someone got it on camera.

A fond memory that he often revisited suddenly makes Nico’s heart twinge. With many campers still requiring treatment even three months after the war, Will had been required to stay at camp longer than usual. In between singing healing hymns to his father the head healder had been doing online classes for his high school back home in Austin, Texas. Now, on the brink of October with most campers completing only minor physiotherapy, Will explains that there’s no reason for him to stay at camp any longer.

I’d miss you. Nico thinks, and then curses himself for acting so mushy. Minos would have scolded him.

The two of them walk towards the cabin 11 tuck shop for Will’s beloved cherry coke (“you haven’t lived unless you’ve tried it Nico”). He lightly chuckles when he spots the sign hanging from the window- no shoes, no shirt, still get service. 

Conner pulls Will into what Percy calls a “bro hug” before writing down Will’s request and pocketing a couple shiny drachmas before heading inside to secure the goods. Still focusing on the lewd sign and how it could possibly be so neatly written with how common dyslexia is in this place, Nico is surprised when Will’s hands reach into the pocket of his hoodie.

He grabs Will’s hands before they get too far and curses his complexion for the heavy blush coating his cheeks. “What did you do that for? I know you like this hoodie but it’s not quite your size.”

Will brings his face closer to Nico, hands still in the other boys pockets. ”I was hoping to put my number in your phone,” he whispers.

“Why are you whispering?” Nico whispers back with a confused tone.

The other boy looks around as if to make sure there are no evesdroppers before saying “well I’m kind of a hot commodity death boy, wouldn’t want those numerals falling into the wrong hands would we?”

He laughs his own joke while Nico simply rolls his eyes and places his cellphone out of his back pocket and into Will’s hands.

When Hades bought Nico the phone a month ago, they’d both spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to set it up. It seems that an eighty-five year old, sword wielding, teenager and his immortal hermit, god of the underworld father can’t handle the latest software update. But Hades had persisted, saying that it was inconvenient to summon a hellhound everytime he wanted to see his kids.

Eventually, Persephone came in and helped him learn how to use the phone, she said her irrigation lines in the mortal world were controlled by devices just like this.

Now, he can confidently say that he knows how to connect his Samsung to bluetooth and his Pinterest boards are to die for. And if Will occasionally steals his phone and makes playlists on his Spotify then that’s an added bonus.

Two weeks ago when they were playing Mario Kart in the big house Will had explained his inevitable return to school, “I can't miss anymore biology Nico, Mrs. Smith is an absolute shark. No one in her class has ever gotten higher than a 70%.”

Nico argued that no one else in the class had ever delivered a baby before either, but then Will died on Rainbow Road and stopped paying attention.

“Come on Nico, we can talk all the time over text, I promise. You’ll call me so much you’ll get annoyed by my voice.” 

Nico explained that he was already tired of hearing Will’s voice, which had then resulted in a wrestle over Wii remotes. You know, as straight boys do.

Finally, Nico is drawn back to the Hermes cabin when Will hands back his phone. Nico stares down at the jumbled bunch of emojis following Will’s name. “What the hell are all these weird looking smiley kissy faces?”

“Relax grandpa, that’s just my contact name,” Will fires back, ignoring the tongue Nico sticks out at him. “Now everytime we talk on the phone you’ll see that name and this” - he steals the phone back and flips it into selfie mode - “dazzling picture.”

Nico is just observing the adorable horror that is Will’s duck face when Connor comes out with a six pack of cherry coke. “You know the deal Solace, half off, but only if you score me a date with Mitchell.”

“Ya, ya, we’ll see Stoll.”

With one last wave over his shoulder, Nico and Will make their way to Thalia’s tree where Will wants to wait to see his mom’s red pickup pull up the road. Will tosses his backpack haphazardly on the ground under the pine. It must have an extension charm on it to hold all his stuff otherwise Nico's not sure how he could fit all his school binders and his functions textbook inside. 

Will joins his bag under the tree and pulls on the edge of Nico’s sweater until the other boy sits down next to him, criss-cross applesauce. He wrestles two of the bottlenecked cokes out of the cardboard container. Nico doesn’t have the heart to tell him that cherry flavour has never been his favourite, so he takes the drink and uncaps it. 

Will raises his beverage in a toast, "to contraband cola and staying alive."

Nico's glass meets his own with a sturdy clink before they each bring the perspiring glasses to their lips. The drink isn’t his favourite but he can certainly pretend to like it for Will’s sake and the coolness on his tongue is nice on the hot day.

"So death boy besides visiting me in Texas what are your plans for this year?" Will asks after a few more sips of cola. 

Nico sets his bottle down and ponders for a moment. He honestly didn't think that he'd live long enough to consider such trivial subjects as amusement, this whole summer has been something out of a fantasy really. 

Coming out to Percy and Annabeth had been the start. When they weren't busy being the children of prophecies Nico and Percy got along quite well. Nico had gone over to the Jackson's for dinner on multiple occasions, it was nice to have Sally fawn over him the only mothers can. It made Nico nostalgic for something clinging to his earliest memories. 

Annabeth, well when he overcame his childish jealousy she was actually a great friend and a wicked sparring partner. No one could anticipate Nico's moves like her, not even Jason. She could fight with any sort of weapon, or without a weapon at all. She also played a mean game of chess.

Getting close to Will meant getting close to all his friends, so basically the entire camp. Since the initial three days in the infirmary it wasn't unusual to see Cecil and Nico sitting on the dock playing mythological, or Lou Ellen trying out new spells on the son of Hades. 

And Nico can't quite forget the subtle smirks he receives from Kayla and everytime Will holds his hand. In fact, on more than one occasion Austin has turned around when Will isn’t looking and mimed a make out session just to make Nico frustrated. 

When his father had gotten Nico and his sister phones, he'd talked to them about proper education. After all in the god of riches opinion, wanting your kids to be happy meant wanting them to be successful; having both of his children failing Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader simply wouldn’t do.

Nico turned to Will and his eager expression - gods how did this boy make everyone simultaneously feel as if they’re the only person in the room? “Well, with Hazel back in California for art school there will be plenty of time for me to redecorate my horrendous cabin. And with you and Jason and Percy not here to annoy me” - Nico said with a sly grin - “I guess I’ll have to throw myself into tutoring lessons with Chiron before I go to school in the spring.”

Though Hazel had been over the moon at the prospect of studying art somewhere full time, Nico wasn’t as keen. It’s bad enough that he hadn’t had the normal upbringing most of the uppity rich kids at a boarding school had, but he also had to be like four grade levels behind.

After talking with Percy about his horror filled education Nico wasn’t any more inclined to go, but Percy also said that in the long run, getting to go to University with all his friends would be worth it. 

Annabeth also threatened that if he didn’t use his speed and muscle to go out for the rugby team then she’d have to beat him up.

So, Nico has been doing tutoring with Chiron, catching up on all of the critical things he’d missed. History was neat (people have landed on the moon?), long-division was a bitch and a half, and English Literature was the bane of his existence. Honestly, reading was hard enough when he was a mere schoolboy in Italy, now they wanted him to do it in a completely foreign language? Despite his unease, Nico wasn’t opposed to school anymore. What better way to fulfill the stereotypical teenage angst story than going to high school?

“Well I’m happy to hear that you’re gonna go, to school I mean. Anyone who can beat Annabeth at chess deserves to be on the mathletes or something.”

Nico chuckles and averts his gaze, “I don’t even know what that is Will.”

“Well you’ll find out soon enough when you have teachers praising your uncontrollable wit, plus I’d love to see you in a school uniform. What does Mr. Mostly Ghostly look like when he isn’t swallowed by an oversized hoodie? Is he drop dead gorgeous, or just another e-boy?”

Nico pushes Will’s giggling face away and covers his own by drawing the strings of his hoodie. “That’s not fair Solace, we don’t all have the time to shop at Forever 21.”

Will pulls a shocked face and clutches a hand to his chest, “ouch, wound me why don’t you. This fabric is American Eagle.”

He smiles and pulls a dandelion from the grass that surrounds them, plucking at a few of the delicate seeds. “But seriously death boy, we have to get you caught up with the times. You don’t know what a mathlete is, haven’t you ever seen Mean Girls?”

Nico brings his shoulders up in a loose shrug and shakes his head. “I mean when Drew ruins her eyeliner she can be a little vicious, but if you’re referring to a movie then no.”

Well shakes his head in disbelief of Nico’s cluelessness. “I’m going to miss your humour death boy, who Will keep me humble?”

Nico’s response is cut off when the distinct sound of gravel jumping on a dirt road rings in their quiet surroundings. Their heads turn as a dusty pickup truck that looks at least 15 years old comes into view and a horn bleats twice in the distance.

“Well that’ll be mom, Neeks,” Will announces, standing up and dusting off the backs of his legs. He extends a calloused hand to Nico and pulls the shorter boy top his feet. The two of them stand facing one another for a moment ignoring the fact that Will’s mom is waiting in the car.

Will gives the hand that is still held between his own a firm squeeze and Nico feels his pulse quicken (he wonders if Will can sense that stuff, being a healer). “I mean it Nico we have to do a few movie nights or you won’t get any of my references.”

He takes a few steps backward, increasing the distance between the two of them, as he gets farther away Nico has to raise his voice a little, “What can I say Solace I'm a hot commodity, I’ll try my best to fit you into my busy schedule.”

Will’s smile lights up his whole face, making his dimples that much more prominent. He tries to take a mental picture, because the Will on his contact screen can never compare to the one in real life.

“Do. Or do not. There is no try,” Will proclaims, before doing an odd two finger salute and disappearing down the hill.

What an idiot, Nico thinks. Yet, the fact that he can’t stop a giddy grin from melting onto his face says otherwise.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes Will is a huge star wars nerd. I'm hoping to make this part of series of one shots about how Nico and Will got together! Stay safe.


End file.
